Postgame Quotes: Revolution 2, Earthquakes 0

Postgame quotes following the Revs' 2-0 win over San Jose

July 6, 2013

Revolutionsoccer.net

New England Revolution head coach Jay Heaps

Good start to the match. I felt we did well to start the game and it was one of those where I thought we were defensively sound, but we weren’t as good as we can be offensively. We were able to score a couple of nice goals. For us, we needed to get home, get some points and we can move onto the next game, but it was important that we got three points tonight.

Well it was great energy all week from Chad (Barrett). It started last week in Chivas (USA), just the intensity, the experience of having the grinds of summer, of muscling in opportunities. It carried over in training. He showed really well in training and I think he earned the start and I thought he showed really well tonight.

I think it’s important that we continue to take one game at a time and this is where we knew we had to make up. We preached all week that the point in LA becomes more valuable when you get the three points to follow. So now, it’s four points over two games and we have to prepare ourselves for Houston as of right now.

No, (the long balls over the top were) really more for the energy because to be honest, to be fair, Chad (Barrett) is our best finisher with flat out clinical finishing in training. (Dimitry) Imbongo was also. The competition there is great. I think that we have, with Juan Agudelo being sidelined for a little bit and having guys like Chad and guys like Imbongo fight for a spot, it’s great. Jerry (Bengtson) as well...Those guys stepped up to the plate and they do a nice job. But we have a good competition going on there and every week, training does matter. I’ve said that from the beginning; that I want to see these guys earn time and I think they’ve done that.

I think it’s our preparation (behind our success at home). It’s not any different on the road or at home in terms of our preparation, but there’s a good feel. I think there’s a good chemistry going on right now with our back line when we get the four guys that have been playing a lot together with Jose (Goncalves) and Stephen (McCarthy) in the middle working together. And of course, I think Bobby (Shuttleworth) is positioning and communicating well. He wasn’t really tested today, but any time he had to be called upon for a cross or a corner kick, he did a good job. When I look at us, as a team defending and getting shutouts, it’s an entire team, top to bottom. You saw Chad (Barrett), you saw Lee (Nguyen) , you saw Kelyn (Rowe); the way they work the center. You saw Saer (Sene), you saw Diego (Fagundez) work, you saw Dimitry (Imbongo), when he went in the game. Those guys are working hard for everything and the guys in front of them. That’s why we’re getting zeros and we do well.

I’ve got to go see it on tape because it was moving. I think Saer (Sene) has that ability with that left foot to make a move. For me, Saer had a good game for us, not just in the finish, but more so with what he did work related. I think that he showed he works hard off the ball, he works hard to defend and he did a nice job creating as well.

New England Revolution defender Chris Tierney

If you look at the way the game played out, Macca (Stephen McCarthy) and Jose (Goncalves) were the reason we won the game. The way that (San Jose) plays is they’ve got two big strong forwards and that’s a tough assignment for any defender in this league. Macca and Jose are the biggest and strongest out there. The way that they battled and took care of that job, which was definitely not an easy one, I think really won us the game.

We talked about it at halftime, that we couldn’t leave them hanging around because they’ve proven they can score and the way that their game is, they’re always trying to get balls in the box and things happen. We would have liked to get one a little bit earlier. I think we knew that the second goal was going to kill the game. It came a little later than we wanted, but credit to Dimitry (Imbongo) for making a great play. That was crucial for us. We were pretty sure the second goal was going to kill the game and I think it did.

We’re focused on ourselves and playing our style. We’re confident that if we play up to our potential, which we have on a few occasions this year – I’m not sure we had our best stuff tonight, but we still won – if we play as well as we’re capable of and how deep our squad is, we know we can compete with any team in this league, especially when we play here at home.

It was a long road trip for us. Obviously, the result in Vancouver was tough, but I think we did well to stop the bleeding and at least get a point at Chivas. We’re always most comfortable at home. I think a lot of teams around the league really don’t look forward to coming here, which is obviously to our advantage.

New England Revolution forward Saer Sene

The goal came from the right side, like we work in practice. I don’t know who gave me the first ball but I received the ball and I shoot. The goalie saved it the first time but the second time, Lee (Nguyen) gave it to me back, and I shoot again on scored.

I like to shoot from far away. I don’t like to think too much. When I am on the field, I am trying stuff and I’m happy that tonight was successful.

(Tonight’s win at home is) very important because I think that this is the first time we are in a playoff spot. We worked hard and sometimes this is when we give points away. We tied some games when we should win it. Today was a game we had to win, we were home, we had great fans and everything was on our side and yeah, we did it. We’re happy.

No, (I’m still) not back to 100%. I need time. After injuries, it’s hard because you lose your rhythm, and you have to work hard to get it back. But I am getting back slowly. The coach and everyone is giving me the time to play 90 minutes and I’m going to get back and try to do my best for the team.

I understand that (the fans) are happy because we were up, 1-0. Sometime you enjoy the fans. At that moment we needed to play and the referee saw it and I did not want to get sanctioned or problems with the league for that. That’s why I went over there to try and tell them to calm down and that we are going to score again. We scored second goal, I’m happy.

No, we work on it in practice. If I scored, Dimitry (Imbongo) score, I am really happy that he scored. Maybe, it’s special for the people because we both have the Mohawks. We are happy because it was a very important game and we needed these three points and now we are in a playoff spot and have to keep going to fight, fight, and fight to go to the playoffs.

I am happy to score, but the first thing is that we win the game. It’s special when we score, we are happy because as a striker I am disappointed when I play and don’t score. I am striker, you score goals, that’s what everybody knows and I am very happy to score and the team wins.

I work on it in practice, I don’t know how to explain. My shot is like a strange way, sometimes I shoot and it is strong. I just try to put in on the goal and I know the ball is going to do something well.

San Jose Earthquakes head coach Mark Watson

I though the first half we were quite poor. I though New England was the ones who were the aggressors right from the start. They had a good game. We had a couple of chances. I thought we were fortunate to be down by only one goal at the half.

No, it’s been tough time for us. The last two games Wednesday night in Chicago and tonight with 16 players We’ve got a bunch of guys with International and a bunch of guys injured. It’s been tough times for us. So we knew we’d be up against it. I was disappointed with the first half. I thought the way we responded in the second half – I thought we gave it a good go and had a couple of chances to get the game to 1-1.

We knew that (New England would) be good and it would be a tough job tonight to break them down. They’re one of the best, if not the best, goals against in the league. We knew that they’re a solid unit. They have two big center backs who were going to be a tough matchup for our guys. And they battled well and in the end, they proved very difficult to break down.

John (Busch) was huge for us tonight. He gave us a chance to still be at one-nil and have a chance to tie the game and we almost took advantage of that. John’s been really big for us all year and was big for us in Chicago Wednesday night and was big for us tonight again. Like I said, he gave us a chance to have any hope of getting any points tonight.

We’re really excited (to play at home next). With all the issues we’ve been dealing with, we’ve played seven of the last nine games on the road, I believe. It’s been a tough stretch. We’ll dust ourselves off. We’ll fly back tomorrow and get everyone rested and healthy or as healthy as we can and we look forward to a big game against Seattle Saturday night at Buck Shaw.

San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch

I don’t pay attention to stats. The only thing that matters is wins and losses.

Yeah, we kept them at one-nil. I thought if we could just get a chance to get one goal and get out of here 1-1, and squeak a point on the road – but it just wasn’t meant to be tonight.

I don’t know. I make saves. That’s what I’m supposed to do, so I just do what I can.

We’ve had a long road stretch here, and it’ll be nice to get home. We’ve got some work to do, obviously, on the training field, so that will come this week. But it’ll be nice to be home and hopefully get back on track, and start picking up some points at home.

San Jose Earthquakes defender Jason Hernandez

We’ve been going through a rough stretch defensively and many games we’ve been in, (Jon) Busch has come up big for us. He keeps us in a lot of matches where maybe the score might be a little different, so he’s been huge for us. Unfortunately, we can’t get the job done well enough for him to make him work a little less.

I can’t tell you how much we’re all looking forward to getting back (home). Right now, you’re seeing a lot of fried brains, fried legs. There’s been a lot of travel with a lot of difficult games. The games we’ve been playing have been down to the final second – every one of them, so we’re really excited to get back home, get some rest and get in front of our own fence.